Secret in Common
by SamCyberCat
Summary: Ema had, somehow, found herself in the presence of yet another detective, who was also an annoying rock star, and she wasn't very happy about it. Daryan/Ema.


Notes - Done for 15pairings. Set sometime prior to Turnabout Serenade. Yes, I like this pairing. So please, no flames if you don't.

* * *

She had in no way wanted to be introduced to this man.

As far as she was concerned the less time she spent around Klavier the better. But for some reason the fop had got it into his head that because they were working together sometimes she should meet his friends.

So that was why Ema had been introduced to Daryan.

Based on first impressions she didn't really care for him. He was cut from the same self-important rock star cloth as Klavier was, the only difference being that while Klavier wasted his time trying to charm everyone he met, Daryan would glare down at the world as if it was beneath him.

That was it.

Or it should have been it had things not got complicated. She kicked herself afterwards. How she'd ended up being in this situation was beyond her, as Ema was certain she'd been in the right frame of mind the whole time. Only she can't have been because…

…Because she looked across at the sleeping figure of Daryan, lying on the sofa fully clothed.

Ema had heard the stories about rock stars getting girls alone in their rooms, and most of them don't involve them still wearing their clothes at the end of it. Especially ones that looked like Daryan. With a face like that his reputation sold itself before he had a chance to say anything.

Any other day of the week, if Klavier had offered her a ride on that death-trap bike of his she'd have viewed it as assault and throw snackoos at him. Regardless of how late it was.

But for some reason when she heard a car pull up beside her and it had been Daryan who'd wound down the window she'd eventually agreed to it. Not before considering if it was scientifically possibly for his hair to fit in a car. Very important to get the facts straight before getting in a car with someone.

Her only defence had been that it was getting late, and he'd looked so indifferent when she'd refused at first that she had to say yes just to spite him before he rolled up the window and drove off. The trip home had been pretty uneventful, they talked a bit to each other, but mostly Ema was observing the interior of the car. It said rock and it said sharks, so it was pretty fitting to him.

As he pulled up to the house she'd directed him to there was the sound of the car going over something it shouldn't have and Daryan swore. Without waiting for her he stopped and got out to get a closer look at what he'd hit.

"What a waste of a tyre," she heard him say after she'd got out of the passenger side, "Who leaves this sort of junk at the side of the road anyway?"

Ema did.

It was a setup she'd prepared earlier for a mock forensic investigation. Everyone needed practise. Given that Ema enjoyed practising forensics more than most people did, but that didn't matter now that everything was wrecked and Daryan's car was looking damaged and vague offended.

"Damn, it'll take ages to walk back home," he muttered.

That was when it happened.

"You could always stay the night here, I don't mind so long as you don't make a mess," Ema offered, remaining as uninterested-looking as she could manage.

He laughed, harshly saying, "Aren't you Gavin's chick? He hates to think I stay over with any of them."

"I am most certainly not!" Ema shot, indignant, "He's just a silly fop I have to work with and you're as much of one as him if you label me as a 'chick'."

That didn't seem to put him off, if anything the grin widened a few notches and she suddenly felt as if implying she wasn't involved with him might not have been the best thing to say right now.

"Then we have one thing in common at least," he said, leaving her confused as to how he'd managed to compare her to himself from what she'd just said. "But I might just take you up on it."

"I don't think the offer's still open," she growled.

Tutting, Daryan said, "Last time I show kindness to a stranger."

"Fine! Just hurry up and come in before it gets any later," she said, turning to unlock the door. Her free hand was itching to grab a packet of snackoos and start throwing them at him, but for once she resisted.

And that had been how he'd managed to stay the night. As well as being the reason why she'd spent half of it waking up to make sure he hadn't snuck in to try anything inappropriate with her. But thankfully he'd stayed in the living room where she'd told him to sleep.

When he stirred Ema looked away and busied herself with some fingerprint samples she'd got the other day.

"You do this stuff for a hobby?" he said, looking over.

"Of course. A detective should take their work seriously," she said shortly.

"You might, but I don't take my work home with me when I can avoid it," Daryan replied, and she heard him getting up from the sofa.

Suddenly she remembered what he said last night.

"Is that what you meant we had in common, that we're both detectives?" she asked.

He laughed, "Not even close."

"Then what did you mean?" said Ema, turning to face him. She really hated not being in the know about something. As a scientist - yes, she considered herself one; she wanted to know all the facts.

Leaning close to her, so close that hair of his was almost touching her, he answered, "We both have to work with a fop on a regular basis."

He pulled back and turned to go. And her heart beat settled back down to its normal pace. She cursed it for even increasing without her consent in the first place.

Over by the door, Daryan said, "If you don't tell Gavin about this that'd be a real favour. Like I said, he hates it when I stop over with the girls. It can be our little secret, Skye."

That was the last straw.

In the lacking presence of any snackoos she picked up a cushion from the sofa and threw it at him, but he ducked and headed out of the door, laughing.

How dare he say that!

She might as well call Klavier and tell him right now that his stupid friend had stayed over with her last night. Only… that wouldn't be reasonable. Would it seem like she was gloating? It might even give him the impression that she was the sort of girl who offered people like Daryan the chance to stay over at her house, and she didn't want rumours like that going around her workplace.

So that was the reason she didn't tell Klavier that Daryan had stayed over night. Not because she was sharing secrets with him.

After all, who would share secrets with a detective like Daryan?


End file.
